Letter Meaning
Letter Definition & Usage
A written or printed message addressed to a person or organization.
Examples
- "I received a letter from my friend in Paris."
- "She sent a letter to the editor to express her opinion."
- "He wrote a letter of recommendation for his colleague."
- "They had exchanged letters for months before meeting in person."
- "After the interview, I sent a thank-you letter to the hiring manager."
A written or printed symbol representing a speech sound and used in writing.
Examples
- "The word 'cat' begins with the letter 'c'."
- "He couldn't remember which letter came after 'm'."
- "Please write down the first letter of your name."
- "Each letter in the word 'alphabet' represents a different sound."
- "In the English alphabet, there are 26 letters."
A characteristic or quality of something, often seen as a mark of distinction.
Examples
- "She was a letter of distinction in the field of science."
- "That decision will go down as the letter of a wise leader."
- "His actions were the letter of an honorable man."
- "The artist's signature was the letter of authenticity."
- "Her speech was the letter of sincerity."
Cultural Context
The word 'letter' has its roots in Latin, where 'littera' referred to a written character or script. Over time, it evolved to refer to written communication (i.e., a letter as a message). The act of writing letters has been a significant part of human culture, used for personal, official, and diplomatic purposes. Today, the physical letter has largely been replaced by emails and texts, though it remains important in formal contexts.
The Letter That Changed Everything
Story
The Letter That Changed Everything
Once upon a time, in a small village nestled by the river, there lived a young woman named Emma who was passionate about her family’s history. One day, she discovered an old, dusty letter in the attic. It was a letter addressed to her great-grandfather, written in elegant, flowing handwriting. The letter contained an important message that Emma’s great-grandfather had never acted upon. The contents of the letter would reveal a secret about the family’s origins, something they had all been curious about for years. Emma spent the next few days decoding the symbols, which were almost indecipherable. She realized that this letter wasn’t just a piece of communication—it was a clue to something much bigger. As she continued her search, she came across an even older letter, this time a love letter sent from a distant relative to a forbidden lover. Intrigued, Emma decided to take these letters to an expert in linguistics. When they examined the letters, they realized that each letter—the alphabet symbol itself—was connected to a piece of history that had been lost for generations. The ‘letter’ wasn’t just a written message; it had become a key to unlocking their family’s past. Through the power of these letters—both the written messages and the alphabetic characters—the mystery was solved. Emma’s family history was rewritten, and she realized that sometimes, the smallest things, like a single letter, can change everything. At the end of her journey, Emma realized that the letter wasn’t just a written artifact; it was a part of her, a reflection of the family’s values, and the one thing that tied them all together.
